Key Takeaways Cure Blindness Project and The Fred Hollows Foundation have formed a partnership to eliminate avoidable blindness in Rwanda and Laos by 2035 The initiative combines surgical care with long-term investment in local health systems, including training specialists, building facilities, and strengthening national eye care programs With up to a 1:28 economic return on eye health investments, the partnership aims to deliver both life-changing medical impact and significant social and economic benefits Two of the world’s leading eye health organizations, Cure Blindness Project and The Fred Hollows Foundation, have announced a partnership aimed at eliminating avoidable blindness in Rwanda and Laos by 2035. The ambitious collaboration also seeks to reduce cataract backlogs in at least three additional countries, marking a major step forward in global health efforts. The initiative brings together decades of expertise from both organizations, combining large-scale surgical delivery with long-term health system strengthening. Leaders describe the partnership as a “once-in-a-generation opportunity” to restore sight to millions and build sustainable eye care systems in underserved regions. Despite advances in medicine, vision impairment remains a widespread issue. More than 43 million people worldwide are blind, while an estimated 1 billion others suffer from poor vision that limits their daily lives. Alarmingly, around 90% of those affected live in low- and middle-income countries where access to eye care is limited. Targeting Rwanda and Laos The partnership will focus first on Rwanda and Laos, where the need is urgent. In Rwanda alone, approximately 100,000 people currently require cataract surgery, with projections indicating that vision loss could affect 1.7 million people by 2050 without intervention. Laos faces a similar crisis, with 66,000 people in need of surgery and the number of affected individuals expected to reach 1.2 million by mid-century, according to Cure Blindness Project. Over the next 5 years, the initiative aims to deliver more than 177,000 cataract surgeries across both countries. Beyond surgeries, the partnership emphasizes long-term system strengthening. In Rwanda, a projected $41.1 million investment will fund over 125,000 surgeries, establish 14 specialized eye units, and train dozens of ophthalmologists alongside tens of thousands of community health workers. In Laos, a $12.73 million investment over 5 years will support surgeries, train 126 eye health professionals, and equip hospitals nationwide. The initiative will be implemented in close collaboration with local governments and international partners, ensuring that programs are sustainable and locally led. “This is a pivotal moment for global eye health,” said K-T Overbey, CEO of Cure Blindness Project. “The magnitude of avoidable blindness and systemic barriers to eye health demand collaboration across organizations, sectors, and geographies. Together with our colleagues at The Fred Hollows Foundation, we will reduce surgical backlogs, train more local eye care professionals, and strengthen health systems so that quality eye care becomes a reality for everyone, everywhere.”